In 2012, the university of Granada was the most sought-after choice for UK students on the Erasmus sandwich year programme. Photograph: Nick White/Getty Images

Study abroad is the thing of the moment: last year, we had the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Industrial strategy for international education talking about the government's "ambition to increase the number of UK students gaining valuable experience through overseas mobility placements".

Then the UK Higher Education International Unit published its Strategy for outward mobility encouraging UK universities to develop study abroad experiences for students as part of their UK degree studies (so-called credit mobility). And now we have a report from the British Council telling us that more UK students than ever are considering full degree study overseas (diploma mobility) as an alternative to study at a university in the UK.

For far too long, we've been happy to welcome large numbers of international students into our universities without reciprocating. Study overseas can be a life-changing experience: new and different learning environments, and new challenges learning to cope in a different culture can be not just great fun but good for students' future career prospects. But there are also wider societal benefits to study overseas, including greater world understanding and tolerance, as well as future economic benefits through enhanced trade relationships.

So if study abroad is so wonderful why aren't more British students doing it? Well the data tells us two different stories.

It's estimated that less than 4% of UK university undergraduate students study abroad as part of their UK degree (on credit mobility) and once you strip out modern language students with compulsory study abroad then the number is even smaller.

The Nottingham experience tells us that where opportunities are created and barriers to study abroad reduced, students do travel overseas for educational opportunities. About 23% of our undergraduate students spend some time overseas as part of their degree and we expect to reach our target of 25% of students undertaking an international experience as part of their degree by next year.

Despite our successes, we still have a lot to do to reduce barriers further, including the bureaucratic hurdles around matching term dates, grade conversion and student housing arrangements, and the complacency and risk aversion among some students (as well as some academics).

But, as the British Council report indicates, UK students are already studying overseas for all of their degree as an alternative to studying in the UK.

A report published for BIS in January 2010 estimated that in 2006 more than 22,000 UK students were studying full-time for the whole of their degree at an overseas university. Although there is no official data on UK students undertaking diploma mobility, we can be sure that the number has grown significantly since 2006.

One of the main motivations cited for studying full degrees overseas is the increasing cost of studying in England, in particular the £9,000 annual tuition fee. While tuition fees overseas may in many cases be significantly less than at an English university, students are not able to access UK student loans to pay those fees or to help with living expenses.

Unless a student is on a "full-ride" scholarship package at a US university, they're going to have to find the full cost of tuition and living expenses upfront. Unless UK student loans are made available for study overseas, as is the case for American financial aid, studying an entire degree abroad will be limited to very well-off, the super bright or those showing the kind of sporting prowess valued by US universities.

While the opportunities for full degree study overseas are becoming more prominent, the number of students able to undertake full degree study in another country will be limited unless the government allows student loans to be used internationally.

Studying abroad as part of a UK degree is a great alternative that gives students the advantages of an educational experience overseas without some of the complications of diploma mobility. Universities in the UK need to do much more to meet the growing demand for an international experience by developing more exchange opportunities and thinking about what more can be done at home to take advantage of the highly international populations already on our campuses.

Vincenzo Raimo is director of the international office at the University of Nottingham and pro vice-chancellor for global engagement at the University of Reading.